System for customizing in-game character animations by players

Abstract

System and methods for using a deep learning framework to customize animation of an in-game character of a video game. The system can be preconfigured with animation rule sets corresponding to various animations. Each animation can be comprised of a series of distinct poses that collectively form the particular animation. The system can provide an animation-editing interface that enables a user of the video game to make modifications to at least one pose or frame of the animation. The system can realistically extrapolate these modifications across some or all portions of the animation. In addition or alternatively, the system can realistically extrapolate the modifications across other types of animations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for customizing animation of a virtual character of a video game, the method comprising:
 as implemented by one or more hardware processors of a computing system configured with specific computer-executable instructions,
 executing a game application on a client computing device, wherein the game application comprises a first animation rule set defining animation of a first action of a virtual character within the game application; and 
 during runtime of the game application:
 identifying one or more character poses associated with animation of the first action by the virtual character; 
 receiving a modification to a first character pose of the one or more character poses of the virtual character, wherein the modification comprises a change to an arrangement of rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character; 
 generating one or more modified character poses for the first action based at least in part on the modification to the first character pose, wherein the one or more modified character poses for the first action are generated using a motion generation machine learning model; 
 updating the first animation rule set with the one or more modified character poses to generate a first modified animation rule set for the first action; and 
 animating the virtual character performing the first action using the first modified animation rule set within a virtual environment of the game application. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said updating the first animation rule set with the one or more modified character poses further comprises:
 replacing one or more unmodified character poses with corresponding modified character poses of the one or more modified character poses for the first action. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first action is a locomotion action or an asynchronous motion action. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the locomotion action comprises at least one of running, jumping, hopping, crawling, marching, climbing, galloping, sliding, leaping, hopping, or skipping, wherein the asynchronous motion action comprises at least one of standing up, sitting down, punching, kicking, swinging a sword, or bending. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising post-processing the one or more modified character poses for the first action to resolve motion artifacts of the one or more modified character poses. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said animating the virtual character performing the first action using the first modified animation rule set comprises:
 monitoring gameplay of the game application during the runtime of the game application;   identifying, during the monitoring, an occurrence of a first triggering game state during the runtime of the game application based on one or more game conditions; and   responsive to the first triggering game state, applying the first modified animation rule set to the virtual character when animating the first action.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual character comprises a plurality of rigid bodies connected by a plurality of joints, and wherein each character pose of the series of character poses is a particular arrangement of the rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing an animation editor interface that provides an interface for a user to select the modification to the to the first character pose of the one or more character poses.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the animation editor interface displays a plurality of possible modifications, wherein the modification comprises a set of the plurality of possible modifications. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the animation editor interface provides interface elements configured to modify at least one of position, angle, or velocity associated with the arrangement of the rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , said identifying the one or more character poses associated with animation of the first action comprises receiving a selection from the user of the game application, wherein the selection indicates the one or more character poses associated with animation of the first action. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to:
 execute a game application on a client computing device, wherein the game application comprises a first animation rule set defining animation of a first action of a virtual character within the game application; and   during runtime of the game application:
 identify one or more character poses associated with animation of the first action by the virtual character; 
 receive a modification to a first character pose of the one or more character poses of the virtual character, wherein the modification comprises a change to an arrangement of rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character; 
 generate one or more modified character poses for the first action based at least in part on the modification to the first character pose, wherein the one or more modified character poses for the first action are generated using a motion generation machine learning model; 
 update the first animation rule set with the one or more modified character poses to generate a first modified animation rule set for the first action; and 
 animate the virtual character performing the first action using the first modified animation rule set within a virtual environment of the game application. 
   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the at least one processor to replace one or more unmodified character poses with corresponding modified character poses of the one or more modified character poses for the first action when updating the first animation rule set with the one or more modified character poses. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first action is a locomotion action or an asynchronous motion action. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the at least one processor to post-process the one or more modified character poses for the first action to resolve motion artifacts of the one or more modified character poses. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the virtual character comprises a plurality of rigid bodies connected by a plurality of joints, and wherein each character pose of the series of character poses is a particular arrangement of the rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the at least one processor to provide an animation editor interface that provides an interface for a user to select the modification to the to the first character pose of the one or more character poses. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the animation editor interface is configured to display a plurality of possible modifications, wherein the modification comprises a set of the plurality of possible modifications. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the animation editor interface is configured to provide interface elements configured to modify at least one of position, angle, or velocity associated with the arrangement of the rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 an electronic data store configured to store computer-executable instructions associated with execution of a game application; and   a hardware processor in communication with the electronic data store and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
 execute the game application on a client computing device, wherein the game application comprises a first animation rule set defining animation of a first action of a virtual character within the game application; and 
 during runtime of the game application:
 identify one or more character poses associated with animation of the first action by the virtual character; 
 receive a modification to a first character pose of the one or more character poses of the virtual character, wherein the modification comprises a change to an arrangement of rigid bodies and joints of the virtual character; 
 generate one or more modified character poses for the first action based at least in part on the modification to the first character pose, wherein the one or more modified character poses for the first action are generated using a motion generation machine learning model; 
 update the first animation rule set with the one or more modified character poses to generate a first modified animation rule set for the first action; and 
 animate the virtual character performing the first action using the first modified animation rule set within a virtual environment of the game application.